Hogan v. State

After being transferred from juvenile court to circuit court for prosecution as an adult, Earnest Jerome Hogan, the appellant, was indicted, along with codefendants Sylvester Ephraim and Nathaniel Gilder, for capital murder in the deaths of Lena and Napoleon Goodson. The appellant entered a guilty plea to the capital offense of murder committed during the course of a robbery.

A jury was empaneled, pursuant to Ala. Code 1975, § 13A-5-42, and the State proved the appellant's guilt of the capital offense beyond a reasonable doubt. The appellant waived jury participation in sentencing, and the…